Encouraging America’s entrepreneurs After creating a billion-dollar industry that established the cat as the nation’s most popular pet, Ed Lowe set his creative sights on nurturing other entrepreneurs. This included a number of investments and activities, such as: Speaking at universities, colleges and national associations to promote the importance of America’s entrepreneurs. Creating an Entrepreneurs Learning Service (ELS) to provide…
Era of expansion To compete with West Coast manufacturers, in 1980 Lowe’s purchased the production assets of Panamint Marketing Co. in Maricopa, CA. Two years later it established European markets with Lawrence Industries of the United Kingdom and Skamol of Denmark. Automated packaging lines were installed in plant facilities to increase the daily capacity of finished product. Product innovations were…
Sustaining growth In 1973 Lowe’s sold its silica plant. The following year it acquired a processing facility in Oran, Mo., and began construction for a large plant in Bloomfield, MO. Once completed, the Bloomfield, MO plant produced almost twice the combined production of plants in Paris, TN, and Olmsted, IL. This is the picture where Ed is at the left….
Staying ahead of competitors Packaging innovations, creative ad campaigns, and new product lines kept Lowe’s Inc. in the forefront of the pet product industry. In addition to its Kitty Litter and Tidy Cat brands, Lowe’s Inc. began manufacturing private-label cat-box-filler. On the operations side, Lowe’s manufacturing facilities grew in size and capacity. The plants also became well known as models…
Getting bigger Product expansion and savvy marketing helped Ed Lowe win both new and repeat customers. In addition to Kitty Litter, he had introduced a complete line of feline products that included sanitary disposable trays, shampoos, flea powder and cat toys. Ed placed print and mail-orders ads in pet trade magazines, made dealer aids available through jobbers and created incentive…
Seeing an opportunity In 1946 Ed Lowe joined his father’s business in Cassopolis, Michigan. Among other products, Lowe & Lowe distributed industrial absorbents for the Dri-Rite Co. A few month later, Ed’s neighbor, Kay Draper, stopped by the Lowes’ warehouse to ask Ed for some sand, explaining that the ashes she used in her cat’s litter box resulted in sooty…
Era of the double hustle As a young boy, Ed was often left to his own devices as his mother helped frequently with her husband’s many enterprises. Yet the move from St. Paul to rural Michigan ignited a great love of the land for Ed, who spent considerable time hiking and camping in the woods with his cousin Loren. “Cass…
Early lessons Ed Lowe was born on July 10, 1920, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where his father, Henry Lowe, had been raised. Five years later the young family moved to Marcellus, Michigan, his mother’s hometown. (Henry Lowe and Lulu Huber had originally met in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where they worked for the Baker-Vawter Co., which printed office supplies.) In Marcellus…
Dennis Blanchette is principal of D. Blanchette & Associates LLC, an advisory firm in Northville, Michigan, which helps small and middle-market companies develop strong business practices to drive focused execution and achieve strategic growth. Dennis’ career spans nearly 35 years and includes more than 25 years of business management experience. He has led multiple organizations through successful acquisitions and on…
After his wife’s grandmother was ripped off by a remodeling contractor for $2,000, Keith Paul launched HandyPro Handyman Services in 1996. Based in Farmington, Michigan, the company provides professional handyman services to residential and commercial clients, protecting them from dishonest contractors. In 2000 the company established HandyPro International to expand through corporate and franchise locations, and today it has offices…